Along for the Ride
by Mighty Dreamfinder
Summary: Glimpses and extended moments of Transformers Prime. #1: The second time Jack encounters a blue motorcycle, he thinks she's come to make due on her threat to find him for talking about Robot Fight Club. (Oneshots/Short Stories.)


**_Author's Note_ : This is the start of a Oneshot and Short Stories collection having to do with the _Transformers Prime_ universe. **

**It's my favorite TF series, and I hope to write scenes and short stories that either dive deeper into certain episodes or explore the characters dealing with new situations and plot possibilities. We'll see what happens ;)**

 **This first oneshot for example is my interpretation of an extended look at Jack's reluctance to go along when Arcee comes to retrieve him to meet Optimus Prime.**

 **Talking Giant Robots**

 **Primary Characters:** Jack, Arcee

 **Description:** The second time Jack encounters a blue motorcycle, he thinks she's come to make due on her threat to find him for talking about Robot Fight Club.

* * *

Talking giant _robots_.

Those three words refused to stop playing over and over again in his brain like a broken record ever since he made it home last night, thankfully still in one piece after nearly being killed in a fight between talking giant robots. Never mind the pounding heart in his chest as shock settled in for the rest of the night as he settled down to sleep, or the fact he had to go through the normal motions of a regular school morning, scarf down a bowl of cereal he really didn't feel like eating, fake a smile and kiss mom goodbye … And all without mentioning there was a possibility the great outdoors beyond their house might have talking giant robots waiting to shoot at him.

Some of the anxiety eased down and so did the three little words when the bike ride to school proved void of talking giant robots.

Pushing one foot in front of the other as he headed for the school building, Jack would have loved to decide the whole ordeal the day before had been a crazy hallucination, or perhaps he'd been drugged or something – but then there was Raf entering the school building, turning to smile and lift a greeting hand. His bright eyes behind his glasses practically shouted _remember the talking giant robots_?

Jack grimaced, feebly waved back, and Raf hopped on inside with a smile.

To worsen things, now that Jack thought about it, Raf was the braver one yesterday. If not brave, then calmer. He hadn't been asking for trouble in the first place by faking he owned a motorcycle to impress a girl. Playing with a remote control car shouldn't result in being caught in the crossfire between talking giant robots either, but even then the younger boy had actually squared his shoulders and shouted at them, standing up to them, _defending_ one of them.

Jack rubbed the back of his head and found his way inside the building, refusing the paranoid instinct to shift his gaze around and check if there were any vehicles watching him.

Maybe as you grew up you stayed worried longer. Talking giant robots or not.

Sierra glanced his way once and offered him a small, amused smile, commenting as she passed, "That was a pretty fancy exit yesterday. You must ride a lot."

He quirked a tiny grin. Talking giant robots or not, at least the whole thing left Sierra with an okay, if far from true impression of him. If yesterday's terror gave him a foot in the door of being noticed by Sierra, well … maybe he didn't mind too much.

Once school was out Jack strode down the hall, a flicker of reassurance burning in his chest. Things were … actually going okay. Life was still normal and moving on and he was moving right along with it. He could forget the talking giant robots and things would remain normal after all.

There was Raf again.

He was smiling and waving.

A little bit of his confidence dwindled as Jack walked over to the younger boy, the only other person who knew about yesterday, standing under a tree beside the road. "Raf. Hey." It bothered him that the shorter boy looked so calm.

Jack rubbed his neck for what must have been the twentieth time that afternoon. "So, um … look … let's just keep this between us and forget anything ever happened, okay?"

The shorter boy tipped his head of crazy brown hair and almost looked amused. He shrugged. "I wasn't about to tell anyone. No one would believe me anyway. I thought we could at least talk about it." The spark in his eyes told Jack very clearly Raf wasn't at all a paranoid mess like he was.

Raf glanced down to adjust his glasses. "I mean … yeah, it was unbelievable, but …" Now he was smiling again. "Wasn't it cool?"

"I guess. Okay yeah, it was cool. A little bit." Jack cracked a small smile and chuckled faintly. "Who knew Robot Fight Club was actually a thing, right?"

 _Beep! Beep-Beep!_

Raf gasped and grabbed at his arm. "Jack … look!"

The yellow muscle car that had turned into a giant robot yesterday pulled up beside them, coincidentally right when the two boys had begun talking about Robot Fight Club. Jack's heart flipped. "Oh, _not again_."

He would have turned and walked in the other direction if not for Raf staying stock still, eyes locked on the yellow car. Maybe Raf didn't connect the dots - the moment they spoke about yesterday's shenanigans featuring talking giant robots, a few seconds later one of those robots just magically shows up? Red flag. It probably wanted to keep them quiet. That had to be it.

The passenger door popped open in a graceful flourish, and had Jack not known the truth behind the sleek, inviting cabin he would have died to take a closer look. A series of cheerful beeping noises greeted them, though not overly loud enough to call any further attention from the rest of the school.

Jack gripped Raf's shoulder and started to turn. "C'mon. We should get out of here."

Raf didn't budge. "But …"

"No way." Jack gestured flatly with both arms at the open passenger door. "It _wants_ us to get in."

"No." Raf flashed him yet another brave smile. "Just me." Calm as ever.

"What?"

"Yours is over there." Raf's arm pointed behind Jack and he looked over. Immediately he stiffened at the sight of the familiar blue motorcycle parked casually along the front of the school property. How had he _missed_ that?

Jack winced. "Look, I really don't think they're here to make friends-"

"How's it going?"

"Raf?!"

The shorter boy had only gone and ducked inside the awaiting disguised talking giant robot. And all Jack could think of was the thief being swallowed by the magical cave tiger's jaws in _Aladdin_.

"Wait! _Stop_! Give him back!"

The yellow muscle car revved its engine and was halfway down the street even as Jack vaulted out into the middle of the road. He slammed his palms over his head, blurting out a nervous laugh. "Rafael …?" Did the boy really just go and willingly get himself kidnapped?

 _Yours is over there_.

Jack slowly turned to regard the blue motorcycle still parked and innocently waiting for him. Yesterday, with the all the shooting and driving and talking giant robots … didn't seem to be over. He squared his shoulders and set his gaze ahead of himself and the empty road.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he mumbled.

He balled his fists and walked away. It was about ten minutes later he realized he'd forgotten his bike. Turning back would mean having to see the motorcycle again, and there would be less if any students still hanging around.

Jack grimaced and shook his head quickly. "Not worth it. I'll have to get it back … some other time."

He dug out his phone, dialed and received mom's voice mail. "Hey Mom. I know you're at work, so I'm just letting you know I'm not gonna head straight home. It's Friday after all and no work today. Might see if the media store has any new stuff in. Love you, bye." He changed direction and headed for Jasper's sleepy mainstreet.

The used media store was about the only lively hot-spot for all the kids, other than the mall on the far side of town, so it was no surprise to find the small shop brimming full with teenagers and kids on Friday afternoon. Jack smiled and let his shoulders relax. Safety in numbers after all.

He'd actually found an old cowboy movie he and mom were fans of in the bin at the big front window and planted himself there to sift through for anymore hidden gems when he just had to look up and out the window. And he froze.

The blue motorcycle was parked outside, literally right across from him. Looking at him.

Talking giant robots … _in disguise_. Right.

Jack immediately paid for the movie and left out the back door, promptly squeezing through a tiny alleyway and darting out into the sidewalk of another strip of shops, slowing down enough to seem casual. His heart hammered away all the same.

He chose a mom-and-pop deli and sandwich shop to take a breather in, and only once he'd ordered a bologna sandwich and taken a seat facing _away_ from the front windows did he relax enough to look around and try to appear like he was an average kid with an appetite after school. He heard some scuffling in the booth behind him and turned his head.

A Japanese transfer student he'd glimpsed now and then sat there, hair twisted up in two pink-tipped ponytails, head bent over something on the table. She'd pushed an empty sandwich wrapper off to the side, so her attention must have been on something else. Eager for a distraction from the day's unsettling panic, Jack turned fully around in his seat and raised a hand to his mouth. He coughed.

"Uh, you're um … Mika, right? I mean, Miko."

The Japanese girl flung up one skinny hand holding a blue colored pencil. "Hang on. I gotta finish this drawing." At least she sounded friendly, if a little bold. She bent forward again and Jack leaned sideways to get a look at her sketchpad.

Miko was drawing a blue motorcycle. She whispered, "Coolest. Bike. _Ever._ "

Really?

Then his gaze lifted and he could see the blue motorcycle actually parked outside past the sandwich shop's window.

 _Seriously_?

"I gotta go, bye." Jack lurched from his booth and headed to the back only to find the back door wasn't in use for non-employees. He hid in the bathroom for a few minutes if only to make it look like that was his destination all along and took a moment to collect himself.

"Okay," he told himself, first grabbing at his head and then spreading his arms. "No, it's okay. You're good, Jackson Darby. Just … stick to the open streets. She didn't make any moves before, right?" He paused and blinked, realizing he referred to the motorcycle as _she_.

And _she_ was following him.

He sighed roughly and lowered his head. "Man up, Darby. Just get out and walk away."

And he did.

Fists balled, expression firm, Jack walked right past the motorcycle. This time he didn't care about hiding out in random shops, he wanted to make it clear he wasn't going to be taking the bait like Raf did. Jack had taken a handful of steady steps before quickening his pace and selecting an alleyway to cut through on his way home.

The rev of an engine roared before a blue motorcycle with a shrouded, leather-clad figure zoomed in from behind and performed a perfect turn, cutting him off from going any further.

"Relax. I just want to talk to you." She sounded amazingly patient considering the run around he'd given her.

Jack didn't even bother himself with making eye contact to the mysterious figure and pointedly addressed the bike's headlights. He frowned. "Don't you mean you and your … new friend?"

The figure on the motorcycle blurred before vanishing entirely – no, that wasn't breathtakingly freaky at all – and the disguised talking giant robot inched forward in motorcycle form. "Kid, there's a lot you don't understand."

Jack began backing up, instinctively holding out his hands. "No, no – I get it, I get it. The first rule of Robot Fight Club is you don't talk about Robot Fight Club."

He turned on his heel and barked, "What _you_ need to understand is that I don't want a bunch of crazy talking vehicles following me around, trying to get me _killed_!"

As he made his declaration a foreign, whir-like sound of metal shifting and grinding punctuated the air. It was followed up by the sound of something _big_ crunching the dusty earth beneath their feet, sending faint vibrations through his bones. He whirled and tensed at the sight of the rather large robot crouched down, leaning on one metal knee. The pose should have been casual, but all the sixteen year old could see was the powerful blue armor and the sight of gears and limbs that had once been a regular, much smaller motorcycle. He only came up to her armor-pointed knee.

The robot's head alone could likely crush his skull with one whack, and her expression was beginning to show impatience."Look," she started before studying him with a tilted helm. " … Jack, is it? Your personal safety is exactly why Optimus Prime has requested your presence. We're not the ones who shot at you, remember."

"Optimus who?"

He backed away again but she followed, leaning forward and making direct eye contact. Now that he saw her up close he could see the bright cyan blue of her eyes- _optics_ , had a ring of violet around them. They bore at him urgently, her voice calm yet deadly serious.

"You may be in danger because you are one of the few, one of the _only_ who have ever seen us," she stressed. "Do you realize what I'm saying, Jack?"

"Completely."

He held up his hands and the large robot leaned back slightly in response. "But that's exactly why I want nothing to do with you." Jack took a deep breath. "I-I've had to go for the past 24 hours without telling my Mom I almost got killed yesterday, and I had to keep it cool during a full school day. Can't we … just pretend yesterday never happened and let things go back to normal?"

The female robot's optics narrowed with a question. "Don't you think I wouldn't _be here_ if that were the case?"

He blinked and looked away for a moment, her words making a point. "So … the other one Raf went with? You mean this isn't some elaborate form of kidnapping?"

"Optimus would never stoop to that."

Jack eyed her uncertainly. "And … who's Optimus supposed to be?"

"Our leader. He's only concerned for you and the other boy 'Bee picked up. You only need to meet him, that's all we're asking." She quirked him the ghost of a hopeful smile. "Think you can do that?"

Honestly, part of him was curious now. She could have killed him right here if she were lying, and she had protected him no matter what yesterday, coming back for him after initially dumping him with a threat to find him if he spoke a word about her.

Jack looked away from the alien, metal face. "I … maybe. You're positive it was just Raf and I?"

The metal fingers of the arm resting against her knee curled tight as she nodded. "Affirmative."

Something clattered to the ground behind him. Jack rounded to see Miko standing and staring open-mouthed and wide eyed into the alleyway, her pencils and pencil container rolling off to the side. She thrust out her arms. "Dude! Why didn't you tell me your motorcycle turned into a talking giant robot?"

The talking giant robot herself groaned. "Scrap."


End file.
